Just 10 days after his joyful wedding, Diogo Jota and his younger brother tragically died in a horrific accident on the A-52 highway. This could be what truly happened during that fateful final journey.
According to Spanish authorities, the accident that killed Liverpool FC player Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 26, occurred at 12:35 AM local time on July 3rd on the A-52 highway, near the town of Cernadilla in Zamora province, just about 16 km from the Portuguese border.
From the wreckage found at the scene, officials believe the two brothers were driving a Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder supercar before the crash. The supercar, valued at approximately £180,000 before upgrades, boasts a top speed of over 322 km/h and can accelerate from 0 to 96.56 km/h in just 3.1 seconds.
Jota was traveling with his brother Andre on the A-52 road in Cernadilla, near Zamora, northwest Spain. The tire of his Lamborghini reportedly exploded while he was overtaking another vehicle. The supercar veered off the road, rolled multiple times, and then burst into flames around 0:35 AM, also igniting the surrounding vegetation.
It has not yet been determined who was driving at the time of the accident. However, police suspect the cause may have been a tire blowout as the Lamborghini attempted to overtake another vehicle.
The tragedy occurred as the two brothers were traveling eastbound on the deserted highway. The car suddenly veered off the road, rolled multiple times, and then burst into intense flames, incinerating the surrounding vegetation. Mr. Ángel Blanco, a Spanish government official, confirmed that both victims died at the scene.
Reportedly, at the time of the accident, Diogo and his brother were en route to the port city of Santander to catch a Brittany Ferries ferry to Plymouth, England, scheduled to depart at 4:00 PM on the same day. According to Portuguese media, the Liverpool star had been advised by doctors not to fly due to recent lung surgery. To ensure his health, he opted to travel by car and ferry to return to England, in preparation for Liverpool’s first pre-season training session next Monday.
Fans were heartbroken by Jota’s passing (Photo: AFP)
CNN Portugal sports editor Rui Loura shared, “He had undergone lung surgery and was advised not to fly. That’s why he chose to go to Santander port in Northern Spain to take a ferry and continue his journey by car after arriving in England.”
Journalist Victor Pinto also stated, “Diogo had chosen to travel by road several times due to minor respiratory issues, which were not serious, and he was accustomed to this journey.”
Less than two weeks prior, Jota had married his longtime girlfriend Rute Cardoso in his hometown of Porto on June 22nd. They had three young children together. In his last Instagram post, the Portuguese footballer shared happy moments from his wedding with an emotional caption: “I am a lucky man.” The sudden death of Jota and his brother Andre has shaken the sports world. Liverpool FC issued a statement saying the club was “devastated” by the tragedy and expressed deep condolences to Diogo’s family and fans. Outside Anfield, fans laid flowers, scarves, and messages of condolence.
